


Make It Simple, Make It Quick

by Bluehaven4220



Series: Ray and Jenna: That's Just Buddies [2]
Category: due South
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Heartbreak, Jenna is a good friend, Male-Female Friendship, Pregnancy, Unrequited Love, picking up the pieces
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 03:31:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5076130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluehaven4220/pseuds/Bluehaven4220
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jenna Collins may be eight months pregnant and hormonal, but even she can see it. Her best friend and baby's father, Ray Kowalski, is in love with Benton Fraser, RCMP, and he hasn't done a damn thing about it. She's going to make him fix that, even if she has to pick up the pieces later on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Make It Simple, Make It Quick

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PhoenixWytch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixWytch/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [PhoenixWytch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixWytch/pseuds/PhoenixWytch) in the [DS_C6D_Prompt_Meme](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DS_C6D_Prompt_Meme) collection. 



> It's a bit of a different take on the prompt, with a third party involved, but the focus is on this third party helping Ray realize what he should do. I hope you like it.

Jenna saw it in his eyes. He couldn’t fool her.

Even at eight months pregnant, on crutches because their baby was sitting on her sciatic nerve and making it very difficult to walk, and her hormones going haywire, she could see it.

Her best friend, and baby’s father, Ray Kowalski, was in love with Benton Fraser, RCMP.

After all, they’d agreed when she found out she was pregnant that there would be no relationship between them aside from being friends and co-parents, because that’s what they were best at. They hadn’t been in love, and, truth be told, there are plenty of worse reasons to have a baby than “We’re friends, we were horny and forgot a condom. Oops.” Never mind that he’d taken her virginity, and that was when she’d conceived. But no one needed to know that part of it.

And now that Francesca was coming back from maternity leave in 2 weeks, it was a lot easier to be friends because they weren’t in each other’s faces all the time anymore. She’d moved out of his apartment and gotten her own place, they’d gone to a mediator to discuss custody arrangements (they’d agreed on 50/50 custody with shared holidays), and had taken parenting classes together. They hadn’t _needed_ to do that, but they thought it best to handle the situation like adults, cover all bases and protect each other.

But today, being in the precinct finishing up the last of her work and seeing the way Ray was looking at Benton, and Benton either didn’t notice or was deliberately ignoring the fact that Ray was making eyes at him…

Jesus Christ, this was heartbreaking.

“Hey, uh, Ray?” she called across the room.

He looked up from the file he and Ben were going over and locked onto the sound of her voice.

“What’s up, Jenna?” Ray stood up quickly, his chair scraping loudly across the floor. ”Something wrong with the baby?”

“No! No,” she insisted. “No, aside from sitting in an awkward position and making it hard for me to walk, our little Rugrat is absolutely fine. Ooh!” she winced. “Stop using Mommy’s bladder as a trampoline,” she scolded her belly, balanced on her crutches and hobbled over to his desk. “Anyway, Ray, I need to talk to you about something. Do you want to have lunch together?”

“Sounds great,” he nodded.

“Well, I have the afternoon shift at the Consulate, so I should be going,” Ben wasn’t stupid, he knew when the two of them needed to talk alone, and would always give them that time and space. But she’d seen his work schedule on Ray’s desk. Today he really _did_ have the afternoon shift…

Which was precisely why she’d chosen today to ask Ray out to lunch.

So, they’d driven down the street to a little hole in the wall that served the world’s best French toast and bacon (one of her cravings that hadn’t dissipated as the pregnancy had progressed), and had both ordered said dish with coffee for him and orange juice for her.

“What’s this about, Jenna?” Ray asked as their food arrived, trying to read her expression.

“There’s no delicate way to ask this, so do you mind if I just ask it?”

“Go on…” he picked up the syrup.

“How long have you been in love with Ben Fraser?”

He nearly dropped it.

“You know about that?”

“Ray, I’m pregnant, not blind,” she answered, removing the syrup pitcher from his hand and pouring some on her own French toast. “It’s so obvious I’m surprised he hasn’t said anything.”

“I…” he stuttered, blinking.

She rolled her eyes. “If you’re going to tell me that there’s no way that’s possible or that it shouldn’t be that way because you and I are having this baby and what child wants to grow up with a dad who likes other men, don’t do that. Don’t use me and the baby as a crutch,” she cut into her lunch and took a bite. “So, I’ll ask you again, how long have you been in love with him?”

Ray gulped his coffee, nearly burning his mouth.

“Since the day I met him,” he confessed. “Our first case, chasing that performance arsonist.”

“And you haven’t told him…” she filled in the last part of the sentence.

He shook his head.

“Good Lord, Ray,” she shook her head. “Tell him.”

“I can’t,” he insisted.

“If you don’t, you’ll regret it,” she put down her cutlery and reached across the table and took his hand. “I can see it clear as day and I’m only on the outside looking in.”

“But what if…”

“No,” she leaned forward and put a finger to his lips. “You tell him, Ray Kowalski,” she stared at him, as though willing him the courage to do it so she wouldn’t have to. “The worst he could say is that he’s not interested.”

“Do you know how much that hurts?” he dropped his voice to a whisper. “To know that the person you’re in love with can’t love you back?”

“Uh, _yes_ ,” she shook her head, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “ _Of course_ I know how that feels, which is why I’m telling you to talk to Ben. Even if it ends up that way. Even if he tells you he’s not interested, I’ll be there to help you pick up the pieces.”

Ray lifted her hands and kissed them.

“You’re too good to me, Jenna.”                                                                                                       

“You’re my best friend, Ray, and I love you. I’ll always be here for you,” she insisted. “Me and the baby both.”

“I love you too,” he whispered against her hands, releasing her and going back to his plate.

**ooOoo**

The rest of the day passed by in relative silence between the two of them, until Ben returned to the station having finished his shift and paperwork at the Consulate.

And Ray had never been more nervous or excited to see the man in all his life.

“Hey Fraser!” he smiled as Ben approached his desk.

“Good evening Ray,” Ben answered. “Are you needing any help with the files on your desk?”

“Uh, no,” he shook his head. “Just let me finish putting these away, and then we can get out of here.”

He saw Ben’s brows knit together.

“Actually, what I meant was… do you want to come over to my place tonight, watch the curling? Pizza’s on me.”

Jenna looked up from the computer and saw Ben freeze for a moment.  

“That’d be lovely, thank you,” he answered, recovering.

“Greatness,” Ray finished filing and made a point of walking past Jenna’s desk. He bent down, kissing her cheek. “If the Rugrat acts up, you’ll call me, right?”

“Of course I will,” she waved him off. “Now go on.”

He smiled and let out a single chuckle as Ben walked on.

She clasped her hands together and rested her elbows on the desk, silently praying that he’d be alright.

Sighing, she shut down her computer and grabbed her coat. Setting herself up on her crutches, she slowly made her way out the door and hailed a cab.

**ooOoo**

It took Ray far too long to work up the courage to say it. Which didn’t make any sense. He and Ben had never had this type of communication problem before. Well, unless you counted the case on the Bounty. They’d gotten through that though, after they’d punched each other in the face and then saved each other from drowning, and then apologized and laughed about it.

But things were different now. Now he was going to be telling Ben he loved him, and he had no idea what Ben would say in response.

“Are you alright, Ray? You’re awfully quiet,” Ben interrupted his thoughts.

_No I’m not._

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he answered just a little too quickly. “But… I did want to tell you something.”

Ben turned the TV off, pizza on the coffee table suddenly forgotten.

“What is it?”

Ray took a big breath, and it was out of his mouth before he’d even had a chance to stop himself.

“I’m in love with you.”

He saw Ben’s mouth drop open.

“Well, I… uh…”

_Oh no._                       

“Ray, I…” Ben reached over and gripped his partner’s knee in response. “I do love you. You’re my partner. You’re my friend, but…” Ray saw him trying to calm his nerves. “But I’m not in love with you.”

Ray felt his shoulders slump, and he put his head in his hands.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” he said to the floor.

 “No, you should have,” he answered, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “I’m glad you did. You did the right thing.”

Ray chuckled once, laying his head briefly against Ben before getting himself together.

And then an awkward, loud silence settled between them.

“I should go,” Ben released him and stood up.

“Hold on, I’ll…” Ray did the same and handed Ben his hat. “I’ll give you a ride home.”

“No thank you, Ray. The walk will do me some good.”

“Then I’ll walk with you downstairs.”

Ben didn’t argue that point, waiting as Ray locked up. Once downstairs, they shook hands, reaffirming that they were still partners, and off they went in separate directions. Ray went to his car, and sped out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell, racing toward Jenna’s apartment.

She was already waiting for him at the door, her crutches nestled firmly under her arms.

He shook his head.

“Oh Ray,” she sighed, maneuvering herself out of the way so he could come in. “I’m sorry, my love.” She held out her arms and waited until he closed the gap between them, gently kicking the door shut with his foot. “Ow!” she hissed, pulling away and placing a hand on her belly.

“What? What is it?” he snapped out of his thoughts and gently placed her hand over hers.

“Nothing, the Rugrat kicked,” she smiled at him. “Telling you she loves you too, you know.”

“She?” his face lit up.

“Damn,” she covered her mouth. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“I’m plenty surprised,” he answered, smiling.

**ooOoo**

He may have been smiling, she mused, cupping his cheek, but it was a sad smile.

They’d both known that this could happen. That Ben would not return Ray’s feelings, but, as she also knew, it wouldn’t stop Ray’s heart from breaking.

And Ray would have to go on working with Ben, pretending that his heart wasn’t in a million pieces.

God, how she wished she could fix it for him.

Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek.

“Help me to bed?” she asked, placing her crutches to one side. “I've had enough of those for one day. Madam Rugrat still hasn’t shifted, and it hurts to walk.”  

He did, placing a hand on her back and walking with her, helping her into the bed.

“Stay,” she whispered from under the blanket just he was about to leave. “Come lie down for a bit.”

He did, nestling in as close as possible with Jenna’s belly between them.

And when his shoulders heaved with gut wrenching sobs later that night, she held him close, running a hand over his hair, whispering soft nothings in his ear, same as he had done for her only eight months earlier.

And, as she’d promised, she’d help him pick up the pieces in the morning.  


End file.
